Shoe-lace fastener



March 15 1927. 1,621,282

s. RLSHETZLINEPJRJ, ET AL VSHOE LACE FASTENER Filed June '12. 1926ZNVZNTQZZS Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

UNITED srrs SAMUEL R. SHETZLINE J'R OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ANDEMIL A.

DODELIN, OF MOORESTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

Application filed June 12, 1926. Serial no. 115,466.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in a shoe lacefastener, and has for its primary object to provide an exceedinglysimple and effective device of this character, which will be inexpensivein the cost of manufacture, easily applied to a shoe and efficient inoperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe lace fasteneradapted to receive the straight and looped ends of a bow knot and holdsuch ends in a neat manner, thereby giving a tidy appearance to thefootwear.

A further object of the. invention is to produce such a fastener from asingle piece of wire, so bent as to provide a shoe engaging hook and alac-e engaging hook, said hooks being arranged in opposed relation;

A still further objectof the invention is to provide means forfurnishing a large bearing surface to the shoe engaging hook to preventturning or tilting of the fastener.

Withthese and other ends in view, this invention consists in the detailsof construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth andthen specifically desig nated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains, mayunderstand how to make and use the same, we will describeits construction in detail, re-

ferring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisapplication, in which:

Fig. 1, is a fragmentary perspective view of a shoe, illustrating anapplication of our invention. 7 v

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of a shoelace fastener embodying ourinvention.

Fig. 3, is a front elevation thereof.

In carrying out our invention as herein embodied, 8 represents a shoe orarticle of footwear which is closed by laces 9, the upper ends of whichare usually tied in a bowknot indicated at 10, and providing loop ends11 and straight or tipped ends 12.

Usually the ends of the bowknot' are allowed to hang loosely, giving anuntidy appearance to the footwear, but by providing a simple means tohold these loose ends, it would give a neat appearance to the shoe, andwe accomplish this by forming a shoe I lace fastener 13 from a singlepiece of wire so bent or fashioned as to provide a loop 14: at one end,and then bend the wire upon itself, intermediate its ends to form aprong 15 and a body 16, the said wire being again bent upon itself inthe opposite direction so as to form a second or outer prong17, saldprongs belng in alignment or directly behind each other at right anglesto the plane of the loop 14, and the terminus of the prong 17 is thenbent upon itself as at 18 to provide a smooth or finished nose 19. Theouter prong 17 may substantially parallel the body 16, but the innerprong'15 is preferably bent outward intermediate its ends, as at 20, sothat its lower end will lie in close proximity to the body and thusprovide an efficient gripon the upper of the article of footwear towhich it is attached.

By placingone of the shoe lace fasteners at each side of the front ofthe shoe, or in any other convenient place, relative to shoe laces, theends of the latter maybe readily inserted between the outer prong17 andthe body 16, where they will be held against accidental displacement dueto the resiliency of the fastener. In placing the fasteners in position,the inner hook 15 engages the inner Iace of the shoe upper, while thebody engages the outer face thereof, and by providing the loop 14 ofextended area, regardless of its shape, it will haveconsiderable bearingon the inner face of theshoe, and therefore the fastener cannot turn orswing from side to side.

Of course we do not wish' to be limited to the exact detailsof'construction as herein shown as these maybe varied within the limitsof the appended claim without departing from the spirit of ourinvention.

Having thus fully described our inven-v tion, what we claim as new andusefulis: A shoe lace fastener produced from a single piece of wirehaving one end fastened into a loop to provide an extended bearingsurface, said wire being bent upon itself intermediate itslengthtoprovide an inner hook supporting said loop and a body, and furtherbentupon itself in the opposite direction to provide an outer hook, the endof which is bent-back upon itself so as to form a finishednos-e, andsaid inner hook being bent outward intermediate its ends so that'theloop portion projects in close proximity .to the body.

In testimony whereof, we afiixed our signatures.

EMIL A. DODELIN. SAMUEL R. SHETZLINE, JR.

h ave hereunto rice.

